HOBOKEN – Earlier this week, a woman posted information about a possible attempted child abduction in Hoboken to a local newsgroup, HobokenMoms, which has several thousand members. But since then, information has surfaced leading some to believe it may just be an urban myth.

The original post stated that a man in a white van had tried to take a child from the mother, at gunpoint. The incident supposedly occurred outside an uptown drug store.

When other parents followed up with questions, the original poster said the upset mom had told her about it, and that it had been reported to police. She said she thought it better to be safe than sorry, and posted it.

However, no more information was given.

When people asked Mayor Dawn Zimmer about the matter, she apparently talked to the police, who were unaware of the purported incident. City spokesman Juan Melli then sent out an email to the group saying, “The Police Department is taking this matter seriously. They are also investigating whether or not it could be a hoax. Until Mayor Zimmer called Chief Falco for information, he said that the police had not been made aware of this situation. We will post any updates we have on the situation.”

Late on Wednesday afternoon, Melli sent this update to the group: “Despite an ongoing investigation, the Hoboken Police Department remains unable to confirm that any of the allegations that were made are factual. If anyone has any information to provide, please contact the Hoboken Police Department: 201-420-2110.”